Top-spinner.



. Patented Sept 25, Mo. A. w. MORGAN.

T 0 P S P I N N E B.

(Application filed May 14, 1900.)

[No Model.)

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Witnesses we NCRRIS PETERS cc, womunm. WASHKNGTON, a c.

lTE TATES ALFRED W'HITE MORGAN,

OF BURLINGTON, IOWA.

TOP-SPINNER.

SPECIFICATION forming att r Letters Patent No. 658,489, dated se t'emter25, 1960.

Application filed May 14,1900.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LALFRED WHITE MORGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Top- Spinner, of which the following is aspecification.

This inventionrelates to top-spinners; and the object of the same is toprovide simple and effective means for spinning a top with-- outapplying the cord directly to the same. and wherein the parts arereversible, so that either end of the improved device may be em? ployedto carry out the operation desired, and embodying structural featureswhich will pre-- vent obstructive entanglement or disarrange- 'inent ofthe primary operating device.

The invention consists, essentially, of a' holder having a spindlefreely slidable therethrough and arranged adjacent to a bearing surfaceand having a cord or strap, either flat or round, wound thereabout andthe coils dis-; posed in regular order within the confines of the holderand adapted to contact with said bearing-surface and be therebyprevented from overlapping or becoming entangled and caused to feedoutward from and on the said spindle with regularity anduniformityirrespective of the end of the latter used to support the top.

The invention further consists of a holder having a spindle freelyrotatableand longia tudinally slidable therein and provided with' ahollow terminal seat with similarly-extend ing spiral arms and a tophaving similarly-arranged spiral grooves adjacent its plug end and meansfor operating the said spindle.

The invention further consists in the construction, arrangement,and'combination of the details, which will be more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the improved device,showing a top in operative relation thereto and a roundcord on thespindle. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the improved device, showing a flatcordon the spindle. Fig.3 'isa horizontal section through the holder andspindle shown by Fig. l, illustrating the cord on the spindle and therelation of the latter and the cord to the bearingsurface or guard ofthe holder. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of thev views.

Serial No. 16,669. kNo model.)

terminal seats of the spindle. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectionthrough the device Fig. Sis aperspective view of a different form of theimproved device, showing a skeleton holder and a difie'rent manner ofattaching the cord to the spindle. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view ofa portion of the spindle shown by Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several The numeral 1, Figs. 1 and 2, designates a holder,which ispreferably of elongated oval form and comprises an outstandinginclosing rim 2 and a continuous slightly-bowed resili-' out back 3,which yields sufliciently to produce an easy contact for a -purposewhich will be presently set forth. Freely rotatable in andlongitudinally movable through the opposite end portions of the rim 2 isa spindle 4, having terminal seats 5, (clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5,)and comprising, primarily, bent wires applied to the ends of the spindleand spirally twisted to form a socket at each end of the latter and thefree ends bent out a greater distance than the coils of the sockets andspirally bent and projected in the same direction to produce engagingarms 7.

'The seats loosely receivefthe plug 8 of the top 9, and the arms 7loosely bear in spiral grooves 10 in the body of the top adjacent theplug to properly support and whirl the latter simultaneously with therotation of the spindle. The ends of the arms 7 contact with shoulders11 at the upper ends of the grooves 10, so. that the top willbe causedto rotate at the same rate of speed as the spindle without lost motion.The wire length employed in forming each seat is firmly secured b0 thespindle by solder or other means. Regularly wound on the spindle withinthe confines of the holder is an operating-cord 14,

the cord shownin Fig. 1 being round and-1 that disclosed by Fig. 2 beingfiat. The'opposite extremities of the cord extend away from the spindlein reverse directions and havefree movement through eyes 15 in the endportions of the holder, the said eyes being sufiiciently large'to avoidabrasion and wear on the cord. The flat cord will adhere to the spindlewith greater frictional tendency in view of its flat construction thanthe round cord and need not therefore be secured to said spindle. It ispreferred, however, to secure the cord, and particularly the round cord,in order to prevent slipping of the same and any tendency to lost motionand to obtain a positive response to the actuation of the cord. In Fig.7 the cord is shown threaded through and secured in a transverse opening16 in the spindle, the said opening being the intermediate limit of thereverse unwinding operations of the opposite cord extremities. In Figs.8 and 9 the spindle is formed with a groove 17, in which the cord istied, and other means for securing the cord will be adopted at will.

In Fig. 8 the holder 18 is of skeleton form and comprises an elongatedoval band 19, having its terminals overlapped, and the opposite endportions of said band are connected by a brace-band 20, extendingcentrally over one side of the same. The band 19 provides a supportingmeans or main body of the modified form of the holder, and the ends ofthe brace-band are bent around the end portions of said band 19 and atone end cover the overlapped terminals of the latter, openings for thespindle being formed through the two engaging parts at each end tothereby produce a reinforced hearing. In other respects the form of theimproved device shown by Fig. 8 is similar to the forms heretoforereferred to, and the brace-band 20 also provides a frictional hearing orguard of a yielding nature, and the function of the two different formsof bearings or guards as disclosed by the said back 3 and the band 20 isto prevent the coils of the cord on the spindle from overrunning orbecoming entangled during the winding or unwinding operation of thesame, and the distance between the said spindle and the hearing orfrictional structures will be about equal to the thickness of the cord,so that the latter will always have a loose contact with the saidstructu res to prevent the coils from overlapping, yet permit perfectfreedom in winding and unwinding without strain or injurious pressure onthe said cord. It will also be seen that the triotional structures orguards engage the cordcoils at one point only, which is sutficient tocause the latter to properly climb and bind on the spindle with amplefriction to obtain the desired regularity and rapidity of rotation ofsaid spindle and without requiring undue exertion in drawing the cordfrom the spindle. This particular arrangement of parts and the functionof the same are material in view of the fact that the cord will be lessliable to break, the operation of the spindle will be forceful with aminimum amount of applied operating power, and the strain on all theparts of the device will be reduced, and

thereby overcome the disadvantages of pre'' viously-constrncted devicesof a similar character, wherein the cord-coils are completely surroundedand an increased resistance established to the ease of operation of thesame and a constant tendency to break. The terminal seats on the spindlenever come in contact with the ends of the holder by reason of the factthat the cord will be attached to or operate on such intermediateportion of said spindle that either extremity of the same will havebecome fully unwound before the inner portions of the said seats willhave come into contacting proximity to the ends of the holder, andconsequently the operation of the device will be effected without jar orabrupt vibration. When the cord extremities become fully unwound, thepoint of inner limit of the same on the spindle will stand in directtrans verse alinement to the eyes in the rim, and the length of cordbetween said inner limit on the spindle and the eye in either instancewill operate as a resilient cushion in View of its tense dondition andobstruct any tendency of the spindle to further project from the holderin the direction in which it has been moving without jar or irregularmovement. The principal object sought in the improved construction ofspinner is to give the spindle a positive upward movement, and this willbeparticularly apparent in the forms having the found convenient incontinuing a number of actuations without delay.

In the operation of the improved device the plug end of the top isdisposed in one of the terminal seats 6, with the arms 7 engaging thegrooves 10. The holder is firmly outward movement of the cord extremity.

When the spindle will have reached its full projection by reason of thecord extremity having been fully unwound from the same, there will be noshock or jar for reasons before expl ined, and the top continuing tomove or tate'willsily unseat itself by reason of the arms 7 and therooyes 10 having the same spiral direction, and the top can thus becaused to fall on the ground or other surface desired while the holderis held stationary in the hand of the operator. The other end of thespindle can then be turned uppermost fora similar operation, and thecord extremity corresponding thereto will be fully wound and ready foractuation without delay.

It is proposed to make the parts of the improved device of lightmaterial of a strong and durable nature and to ornament the same byplating or otherwise. The two forms of holders shown are so shaped andarranged that they may be easily grasped by the hands of the operatorwithout engaging any part of the spindle, and thereby avoid retardingthe operation of the latter and the unwinding and winding of the cord.

Changes in the form, size, proportions, and minor details may beresorted to without depart-ing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. Atop-spinner having a holder, a top-engaging spindle mounted in theholder, and a flexible spindle operating element reeled upon thespindle, the holder open at one side and having a guard at the oppositeside parallel with and spaced from the spindle a distance equal to thethickness of the spindleoperating element and having contact with onepoint only of the coils of the latter.

2. A top-spinner having a holder, a spindle slidingly mounted in theholder and having terminal top-engaging members for alternate use, andflexible spindle-rotating elements connected with the spindle and eithercoiled or reeled thereon as the spindle is turned by the uncoiling orunreeling of the other.

3. A top-spinner having a holder, a spindle slidingly mounted in theholder and having terminal top-en gaging members for alternate use, andflexible spindle-rotating elements connected with the spindle and eithercoiled or reeled thereon as the spindle is turned by the uncoiling orunreeling of the other, the holder having a guard at one sideexclusively parallel with and spaced from the spindle a distance equalto the thickness of the spindle-operating element and having contactwith one point only of the coils of the latter.

4. The combination of a top, and an operating-spindle therefor,one ofsaid devices havin g similarly-projecting spiral members and the othergrooves of a corresponding construction to receive said members;

5. A top-spinner comprising a holder, and a rotatable spindle havingtop-engaging seats at the opposite terminals thereof for reversi bleuse.

6. A top-spinner comprising a holder hav ing a yielding frictionalbearing element at one side exclusively, a spindle longitudinally androtatably movable therein and provided with terminal seats to receive atop, and a cord regularly coiled on the spindle in loose contact Withthe frictional bearing element and having its opposite extremitiesextending through reverse portions of the holder near opposite ends ofthe latter.

7. A top-spinner comprising a holder having a bearing element, a spindlelongitudinally and rotatably movable therein and proing a yieldingbearing element, a spindle lonthrough which said cord extremitiesextend,,

when the latter are unwound, forming resilient cushions for the spindle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED WHITE MORGAN.

Witnesses:

HARRY H. HOLLANDER, O. E. VOGLE.

